Closet Disco Queen / Heads – Split 7″ Review

The perfect pairing for a split, limited edition (just 222 copies) 7”, German/Australian sludge/noise 3 piece Heads have joined forces with Swiss instrumental mentalists Closet Disco Queen for this special release, the first Crazysane records. Mixed by Cult of Luna’s Magnus Lindberg, there’s quite a pedigree attached to this special release, but for fans of music that truly pushes boundaries, then no such name-dropping is required for both Heads and Closet Disco Queen are visionaries whose music more than repays the effort of tracking down a copy.

The double A side opens with Heads whose track, ‘soothe’, is a mesmerising mess of psyche-noise that recalls the likes of The Melvins with its down-tuned riffing and sinister atmosphere. Subtle and just pushing at the edge of atonal, ‘soothe’ is one of those rare, noise-infused tracks that takes its time to build a potent atmosphere before finally casting the listener into a hellish abyss as increasingly agitated riffs pile up around vocals that encapsulate the raw sound of distress. In contrast, Closet Disco Queen’s effort emerges from a barrage of feedback before heading off down its own beautiful and bizarre avenue that draws obscure links to country, surf rock and stoner without actively aping any one of these things. It is the nature of Closet Disco Queen to be obtuse and, in doing so, to develop music that recalls the early days of alternative rock when bands like Meat Puppets, Melvins and Sonic Youth regularly challenged perceived norms in music to create albums that remain amongst the most dizzyingly creative efforts ever recorded.

What better way to kick off a new label than with a split 7” showcasing two effortlessly creative bands? This recalls the days when fans would scour local record shops for releases from Sub Pop, Touch and Go and SST records, rushing home clutching the release under their arms just waiting to play the record into scratchy oblivion. Proudly refuting the insta-consumption of the modern era, Crazysane are putting the spirit back into the art of music production and fandom and this split release is the perfect start.